Improvement in floating docks



s. JAMCKI.

o Improvement in Floating Docks. Not-123,402.' @L Patented Feb. 6,1872.

srANrsLAs Jnnroxr, or Sr. PETERSBURG, Russin.

IMPROVEMENT IN FLOATING DOCKS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,402, dated February6, 1872.

Specification of an Improved Floating Dock, by STANISLAS J ANIGKI,engineer, of StPetersburg, Russia. Y

The object of this invention is to make an improved iloating dock, to beafterwards used as a dry-dock for ships when their sheathing, keels,propellers, or other parts require to be repaired or cleaned, the dockbeing raised by compressed air and kept steady by means of externalfloats.

0n the accompanying sheet of drawing, Figure l is an end view, and Fig.2 a plan of one of my improved floating docks.

The dock consists of one or more metal caissons, A, of severalcompartments, for forming the bridge or platform on which the ship is torest, the caissons being without bottoms, but held together at the sidesand tops by rods and bars in any required manner. At the longitudinalsides of the caissons there are upright standards or frames H,surmounted with foot-paths and railings, B, and to each outer side ofthe dock are jointed two series of connecting-rods and iioats. Oneseries of connecting-rods, marked F, are jointed at one end, as at a, tothe bottom of the single or compound caissons, and at their other endsto iioats D, and the other series of connecting-rods, marked F', areconnected at one end to the rods F, and at their other ends to slidingcarriages or frames J, attached to floats D,which keep the jointed partsd invariably above the surface of the water. Below the bridge orplatform A there are pipes and taps communicating with pumps for forcingair, when required, into the several compartments between the platformand the water, there being open safety-pipes G let into the caissons byscrews to allow air to escape when the compressed air is in excess, andthere are also let-off valves to form an equilibrium when the dock hasto be sunk by its own gravity for the ingress and egress of the Ship orvessel. When the doek is in its lowest position the float D, at eachside, is near the tloat D', the connecting-rods F F approaching verticalpositions, as shown by the dotted lines, Fig. l, and when the twoiloat's are near each other they are sufficiently immersed to sustainthe dock, of which the greater part of the weight is compensated orcounteracted by a quantity of compressed air shut up in the caissons.

To raise the dock and vessel the compressed air is pumped under theplatform into the caissons by means of one or several air-pumps, whichare placed, by preference, in a separate vessel or barge, the aircirculating and increasing in all the compartments of the caissons untilthey and the ship are raised to the required height, but the outer sidesof the caissons are immersed in the water, as seen in Fig. l, therebykeeping in the compressed air.

As the dock rises the part a at each side rises with it, and the part dnot being able to rise, the connecting-rod F pushes the connecting-rod Fand float D more and more outward,

so as to give complete stability to the dock,

the movements taking place automatically.

Thus during and after the raising of the dock the stability of all theparts is assured by these lateral floats-that is, the external iioats D,jointed to connecting-rods attached to the sides of the dock, and theinternal iloats D counterpoising the sliding carriages J, connected bythe rods F tothe rods F. If the dock by any external force is causedtoincline it soon recovers itself, as the oatsD are connected to it byinexible rods, and bring back the platform or bridge to its horizontalposition.

The Iioats d used for keeping the point d always above the surface ofthe water, act not only as supports for the carriagesJ but also preventthem from rising when not required and it follows that all the partsshould be properly balanced.

As before said, the dock or caisson is composed of one or severalsections, according to the requirements, but not closed at the bot tom.It is a simple rigid diaphragm provided with the necessary pipes andtaps to enable the compressed air to circulate between the severalpartitions.

2 rase@ Having now described the nature and parjfry-pipes G, arranged asand for the purpose ticulars of my said invention, and the mavuspeeied.ner in which the same is to be performed, I In testimony whereof Ihzwesigned mynafme desire it to be understood that I o1ui1n to thisspecification before two subscribing l. In combination Wit-l1 :L oatingdook,eou witnesses. Structed substantially as described, I claim theSTANISLAS JANICKI.

oounterpoise or oats D D7 operating as and I for the purpose speoied.

2. In combination with the compartments of a caisson of a ioating dock,I claim the safe- Wituesses C. LAFOND, GH. FRONARD.

